By Brian Campued
On the heels of the launching of the National Fiber Backbone Phases 2 and 3 this month, the government is relentless in its efforts to bring digital connectivity across the country, especially in the remote and underserved areas.
In line with the digital transformation agenda under the Bagong Pilipinas, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has established at least 19,000 free WiFi sites nationwide as of this year, from 4,000 sites when President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. took office in July 2022.
“Napakahalaga ng internet sa ating pagtahak patungo sa Bagong Pilipinas,” Marcos said during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) at Batasang Pambansa on Monday. “Kaya nitong padaliin at baguhin ang pamumuhay ng ating mga mamamayan. Hindi lang ito para sa may kaya, o para lamang sa mga bata. Ito ay kailangan na ng lahat.”
To ensure that learners and teachers can adapt to the modern challenges in education, the DICT also began the distribution of more than 1 million SIM cards with free data to schools in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), along with the installation of additional tower and cell sites to provide improved internet speeds.
However, Marcos stressed that almost 12,000 public schools throughout the country still do not have internet connectivity.
“Kaya sinisiguro ng DICT at ng DepEd (Department of Education) na bago matapos ang taong ito, magkakaroon na ng koneksiyon ng internet ang lahat ng pampublikong paaralan,” he underscored.
Streamlining gov’t service through eGovPH Super App
Meanwhile, the President also urged Filipinos to download the eGovPH mobile application to get more convenient and better access to various government services and transactions without going into different offices.
“Gamit ang app, maaari nang gawin at ayusin ang sari-saring mga serbisyo at proseso ng pamahalaan na dati ay pinipilahan pa natin ng ora-orada,” he said.
To date, over 40 local and national government services are now available on the eGovPh Super App, including driver’s license renewal, document processing for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), immigration and customs declarations at airports, and even job-seeking.
The app also features services from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Pag-IBIG Fund, and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).
Users can also access government-issued IDs, such as the digital National ID, through eGovPH.
He added that the app will soon offer National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance requests; Beep cards for MRT and LRT; eTIN from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR); as well as the processing of the Medical Assistance Program.
“Hindi magtatagal, magkakaroon na rin para sa: NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) clearance; Beep card para sa MRT at saka LRT; at eTIN galing naman sa BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue),” Marcos added.
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